One’s feet play the most important role during a trek. Your feet have been hard at work walking you through the gravel, streams, and uneven terrain. They deserve a well-due rest for a maintained performance the next day.
- Wash your socks and dry them in the sun.
- Cleanse your feet as often as possible and ensure that the space between your toes is dry.
- Treat tender feet to a soap and water cleanse, followed by application of powder.
BLISTERS
- An inevitability while trekking is getting blisters. Knowing how to deal with them is a wise idea.
- Step 1: Soap cleanses
- Step 2: Using a sterilized pin or needle, puncture the blister. Do not remove the extra skin.
- Step 3: Cover up the wound by application of adhesive plaster or a band-aid.
- Friction causes blisters. Use talcum powder to cope with sweat.
- During a trek, keeping your feet as clean as your face is a must!
BEFORE YOU MARCH
- Ensure that the shoes you choose are comfortable and well-worn, not new.
- Your shoes shouldn’t be well fitted, but should have enough space for 2 additional socks to facilitate absorption of friction.
- Try to keep shoes dry whenever possible, and maintain hygiene.
- Do not dry wet shoes over a fire, instead stuff it with paper and change out of wet socks as soon as possible.
- A habit to inculcate while trekking is to change socks at least every second day to avoid foul smell, blisters and infection.
- Lastly, have you tied your shoes properly?